How Long Does It Take for Nicotine to Get Out of Your System?

July 3, 2016

The stimulant responsible for addiction. Nicotine is found to be among the most addictive substances present. Millions of people around the world are using these nicotine-containing products.According to the Health Essential, it takes nicotine a minor period of ten seconds to reach your brain upon being consumed. In the brain, it stimulates the receptors, leading to enhanced cognitive functions and alertness.

Due to nicotine, the person feels high when he smokes. It is this high that he endeavors to attain at all times and for which, he continues to smoke or chew tobacco with increased frequency.

The withdrawal symptoms that you feel due to giving up smoking or tobacco are also largely due to the fact that your body is deprived of nicotine.

The time taken for the stimulant to exit your system

If you are wondering how long nicotine can remain in your system when you intake it, there is not a clear-cut answer to the question that you will be able to find. Nicotine is found to have a half-life of around 2 hours.

Thus, if we speak from a theoretical point of view, it should not take longer than 11 hours for the stimulant to exit your body. However, the reality is somewhat different. In reality, it is highly plausible that in most cases, complete clearance would not take place within 11 hours. Usually, the time taken for complete clearance is 24 hours.

Factors that affect the process of clearance

There is a reason that the rate of removal from the body differs from person to person. This is due to the fact that certain factors affect this process.

Age is one of the factors that have a role to play. It has been found that in the elderly, the process of removing nicotine tends to take longer as compared to adults. Reduced blood flow to the liver and decreased BMI can also be reasons for this.

Food intake is another factor that affects the process of clearance. It has been found that if you consume food with nicotine, the process of clearance tends to take less time. This is due to the fact that blood flow to the liver is enhanced after a meal.

Other factors such as genetics, medical conditions, the frequency of smoking, and supplements and drugs being taken also influence the clearance rate. Thus, while assessing how long it would take for nicotine to exit the body, these are the factors that need to be kept in mind.